Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

I am always one to rule in favor of life before ending ones life. However, I've become numb to the issues revolving around pulling feeding tubes.

I work at a hospital and have seen feeding tubes pulled and patients put on comfort care. Some patients die within a few days and others take longer. My mother and law passed away about 1 1/2 years ago and she choose not to have a feeding tube nor an IV for fluid and it took her close to two weeks to die and she was terminal.

Part of the dying process in humans is the body rejects fluid and food as the organs begin to shut down. It is cruel to give a dying a person fluid, because it causes the stomach to bloat and is painful. Remeber too Terri isn't straving to death - she will die of dehydration as her organs began to shut down.

Back to Terri I wish her husband would hand her over to her parents. He obviously wants to get on with his life without her and Terri's parents are not ready to let her go. I feel the world would have more respect for Terri's husband if he did this.

This is a very sad case for all involved and working around dying patients this is the one time I agree we should vote for life and not death.

Final thought - after 15 years it seems nearly impossible to rehab Terri. It has been too long.

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